Olympic Lifting

The Snatch is when the barbell is lifted from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. This lift requires coordination, torso (core) stability, and explosive power of the legs to generate the upward momentum required to snatch weight overhead. Tremendous speed is required to get underneath the bar after the second pull.

The clean and jerk is a lift that is a composite of two weightlifting movements: the clean and the jerk. The clean portion consists of the lifter moving a weighted barbell from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles. The jerk portion involves lifting the weight above the head until the arms are straight and the bar is stationary.

In comparison with other strength sports, which test limit strength (with or without lifting aids), Olympic weightlifting tests aspects of explosive strength and are therefore executed faster—and with more mobility and a greater range of motion during their execution - than other lifts. Properly executed, the snatch and the clean and jerk are both dynamic and explosive. The lifts and their components are commonly used by elite athletes in other sports to train for both explosive and functional strength.